Lost
by jolandafoekens
Summary: Constance is acting more irritable and non-happy than usual. This appears to happen every year, somewhere around the same date. This year, people slowy seem to understand why...
1. Chapter 1

So um, *Caugh caugh*. This is a story which was already in my mind for a couple of days, weeks maybe. I just had to write it down, since I couldn't stop thinking about it. This is my first fanfic at all, as well as it is my first story written in a language which isn't my native. Some things might sound/read a bit strange because of this, but if you have any comments on that, please let me know! Then I'll make sure it will be improved. :) Enjoy and let me know what your opinion about this is, then I'll try to take some things in account for the next chapter!  
_

She couldn't sleep. As usual. She scratched Morgana behind her ears and then stood up to walk to the window slowly. 'Tomorrow would be her birthday.', she thought. A tear started to roll down her cheek. She quickly whipped it away. "It's not fair, Morgana.", she whispered to her loyal cat, who had a compassionate look on her face. She returned to her bed and sat down to cuddle a bit with Morgana. "It's been so long and it still hurts. I never wanted them to be stolen from me."

When she woke up next morning, she still felt like she hadn't slept for ages. Constance stood up, showered, got dressed, did her hair and went to the staff room. Davina was already sitting there while Amelia and Imogen just walked out of the staff room giggling. "Morning, Constance.", mumbled Amelia, while she walked past her. When she took a closer look to Davina, she knew why: "Your hair looks like a birds nest!", Constance yelled to Davina. "Not that it makes much difference to how you wear it usually, but this still is over the top, isn't it?". Davina looked like she wanted to cry and run into the cupboard again due to the cruel words of Constance, but she stood tall this time. "It's nót over the top! I decided to be closer to nature from now on. I can't get closer to nature when I don't look naturish, right?". Constance had to put in some effort to not lose her temper even more. "You didn't necessary have to put yoghurt in your hair to make it look like a birds nest. It already looked like one before... And it smells!". Right after she said this, Amelia and Imogen returned into the staff room. "We've been to miss Tapioca, making sure she gets us a proper breakfast.", Said Imogen. "Next time it's not necessary to let us eat bird food, miss Bat.", miss Cackle continued. "We'll do with the normal human food." Constance hadn't had a chance to look at the table yet, but when she did, she instantly regretted it. "And what on EARTH is that?!", she almost shouted, seeing all the seeds on the table. "We don't even have proper plates!". She didn't even finish her sentence before the door of the cupboard closed rather loudly. Amelia sighted. "Was that really necessary, Constance?" "Her hair even worse than usual and not even a proper breakfast? Yes, it was!"

"Miss Hardbroom?". A careful voice. 'She doesn't want to make me angry. How cute.', said a sarcastic voice in Constance her mind. "Yes, girl?" "What is the date, miss?" "The twent-yfi…". Her voice hesitated. She sighted. "The twenty-fifth of May." She answered. Her class was making a practice exam for the real exam next week. She knew she shouldn't had been giving the exam on this date. On the other hand, she had to teach anyway. There was no use of hiding from teaching just because today is –was, actually- the birthday of someone she cared of. And lost. 'She wouldn't want me to stop acting like a normal being just because of the fact she died.', Constance thought. Although the fact that she's even more irritable than usual, she still acted quite normal. And no one new she had a normal, human side.


	2. Chapter 2

Sooo, I was in a sort of a writing mode tonight. Hope you enjoy!  
_

 _There's this man again. Dark hair in a bun and blue eyes. When he would wear is hair loose, it would get to his shoulders. Usually I'm not that fond of this hairstyle –men are supposed to have their hair sort, or really long as most wizards wear it. But not like this man. He can have it. It looks –cute on him? I immediately started blushing when that thought came up to me. 'What is this?', I thought. I never felt anything like it. 'Is this love? Because when it is, I don't understand what I ran away for all the time.'. And have I told you about the eyes? Not regular blue, but way more intense. As if you could see the night- and day sky in them at the same time as you could see the sea in it…_

"The hour is over", miss Hardbroom told the class loud and clearly. The class sighted; she knew she made the test hard for the class, but this time, she couldn't even care as much as she usually would. Not that she would care usually, she only made it this hard so that they would pass their normal test, but still. Today she had other things on her mind. "Hand in your paperwork and then go to your next class. Quickly! Mildred Hubble, stop writing and hurry UP!", she almost yelled. Mildred looked up almost scared and crying. "Yes, Miss Hardbroom.".

Mildred wondered what was wrong with Miss Hardbroom. Obviously, she always yelled at her, but not with such a hateful voice. Yes, there would be hate in her voice, but not like… this. Not like she truly meant it. 'Your overreacting, Milly, stop worrying. You did well on the practice exam.', she told herself, right before she walked in the library to continue studying for her charms practice exam coming up.

 _Constance heard a voice behind her. A soft, but a more-than-manly voice. "Did you like the concert?". When Constance turned around to see who it was, her hart sort of dropped. To the other side of the world. She opened her mouth to say something, but no noise came out, so she closed it again. After a few seconds she said: "…Uhm. Well, uhm, I think it was… pretty well. I didn't think it would be this good, actually. How about you?" "You didn't think it would be this good?", he said, with a serious face. When he saw Constance her shocked face, he started laughing, which caused Constance her hart to drop again and made her blush. "I didn't think it would be this good either! My brother is the lead singer and he kind of forced me to be here.". He continued. "Oh really? One of my former teachers of the school I just graduated from kind of forced me to be here, because her nephew is the lead singer. She threatened to go to the exam board to cancel my graduation if I wouldn't be here.". The guys eyes became big. "No way! Aunt Broomhead was your teacher? I officially feel sorry for you know!". Constance blushed again. "Don't be. What's your name?"_

After dinner, telling Ruby to put all those technology-rubbish away three times and telling Mildred to tie her shoelashes 16 times, if it wasn't more, Constance almost ran to her room. She didn't want to go to the staffroom. Unlike any day else, she didn't feel the urge to do her work there. She just wanted to be alone in her room. And with Morgana, if she already returned from her mouse-hunt in the building. When she arrived in her room, she saw that Morgana indeed returned. Without a mouse or a rat, this time. She was hungry, so Constance fed her. "Enjoy your meal", she whispered. "I hope you can enjoy yours than I enjoyed mine.".

I tear rolled down Constance her cheek when she tried to sleep. And another one. She hadn't been able to do any of her work. If that little bitch didn't make her life unbearable _again_ , she wouldn't be crying right now. First, she made her life horrible at Witch Training, thén she decided to separate her with her husband and daughter. She'd been told they're both dead now. She wasn't even sure. She couldn't burry them herself, Broomhead made sure she couldn't. But everything pointed at this. She tried everything, finding her husband and daughter, and finding Broomhead, but nothing of it happened. Broomhead was supposed to do the school inspection last year, but due 'illness' someone else did it. Perhaps it was a relief, since Broomhead probably would close the school, but Constance felt disappointed. She only wanted some answers…


	3. Chapter 3

New chapter. Not completely sure about it, writing it felt a bit strange: usually when I'm writing everything just flows out of my fingers but now I had to pause a lot in between the writing. I knew what I wanted to write, but not exactly how (problem of thinking in pictures a lot :P). While reading it over again, for me it still read kinda 'normal' to say it like that. That's why I'm not completely sure. In the end I'm happy I think, wrote everything I wanted to write in a pretty logical order. :P Enjoy!  
_

 _Later that evening Constance was still talking to him. To Nick. Eventually, she wouldn't ever forget this night. Constance always thought she wasn't good at social skills and conversations, but with Nick it was different. Usually, conversations would be awkward. Constance would make a comment which the other person would consider rude while she didn't meant to say it like that, she wouldn't have anything to say or she would only be able to talk about something she had studied lately, mostly herbs and potions. Not really much her company would usually appreciate talking about. 'I try', she always thought, 'But I just in some way I can't seem to have a normal conversation. Everything that is in my interest, doesn't seem to bother anyone else.'. Mistress Broomhead always confirmed this, but also confused Constance in a way. "You're not getting anywhere if you continue to socialize like this, Constance.", she always yelled at her. "You're pushing people away with your dullness!". When Constance would eventually lay in bed, crying, she would ask herself what that woman expected. That woman give her so much homework, tests to study for and essays, she didn't have any time to have any other hobby's, except her books, her herbs and trying out more potions, which eventually would lead to be a major hobby of her._

 _This night was different. Surprisingly, Nick actually seemed to enjoy books and herbs as much as she did. They continued talking and laughing about this for the rest of the evening in a café Constance could pick. This wasn't even the best part. Constance was able to talk about Mistress Broomhead freely, without even being afraid she would materialise behind her. She wouldn't even expect her to be with her cousin. For the first time in years, she would safe and comfortable with someone._

Later that evening, someone knocked on the door. Constance had given up trying to sleep. "Come in.", she answered the knocking on the door. When she looked who came in, she noticed Amelia hadn't been able to sleep either yet. When Amelia smiled at her, Constance tried to smile back. She failed. She failed miserably. Instead of putting on a smile, she started crying. "Oh, my dear, don't cry!", Amelia said while closing the door and walking towards Constance to give her a proper hug. "I know today had to be a hard day for you, but I promise you: you once will know what happened to Nick and your daughter. I'll help you with that, you know I will." "But even when I'll find out, I'll still feel like a terrible wife and even a more terrible mother… How can a proper mother lose her daughter to someone she had to be aware of before?"

 _Everything went fast after this. They had more dates and conversations over the phone and slowly they fell in love with each other. Constance had never imagined something like this could happen to her, especially with Mistress Broomhead her cousin. Surprisingly, she also let the two of them alone, and didn't have any contact with both of them. Although this surprised Constance, she didn't pay much attention to it. She was so, so happy she didn't have to deal with this woman anymore that she didn't care she didn't show up anymore._

 _One day, when Nick returned from work, she walked to him with a shocked but happy face. "Constance? What happened", he asked her. She started crying of joy and hugged him. "I'm pregnant!", she answered. "We're going to have a little baby!". Nick looked at her with the same face as that Constance looked at him when he entered the home. "Are you serious? I mean, and sure? Completely sure?", Nick answered. "Yes, yes and yes.", Constance answered, still crying of happiness. Nick whipped away a tear. "Do you want to answer 'yes' to my following question as well?". Constance looked confused while Nick put a ring on her finger. "I wanted to ask you this question for a while already. Do you want to marry me?"_

 _In the next couple of weeks they lived as if they lived in a dream. They had a small wedding, with only the people most close to them. Constance was three months pregnant. It was the end of September, and luckily, the weather was still nice and chilly so that they could keep their wedding outside._

 _They worked on the babyroom, which would have, surprisingly, all kinds of pink colours. Constance was absolutely sure the baby would be a girl and insisted the room would have a lot of pink in it. "And what if it won't be a girl?", Nick once tried asking her. "Then, then… Well, I don't know! It's a girl, okay!". She answered confused, after which Nick started laughing and hugged her. "Of course she will be a girl. She has to be now."_

 _The baby came a month early. Constance was alone at home, Nick was at work. At once, she felt a huge pain in her stomach, as if someone had it her there with a knife. She went to the phone as quickly as she could, but since the pain got more intense, she was slow. To slow, she thought. 'Is it supposed to hurt like this? This can't be good.', she continued thinking. 'Of course this isn't good, she's a month early!'. She called the emergency line. "I… I think my baby is coming… A month early!", she said when the lady answerd. "Please come!"_

 _After her last sentence, Constance fell unconscious. She woke up in the hospital. No pain. No baby. She went to sit straight up. "My baby! Where is my baby? N-Nick?", she said just before Broomhead sitting on her bed, with two nurses behind her, looking as if they had seen the devil itself. "Baby? There is no baby. You never were pregnant. How do you know Nick? Never heard him say anything about you.", she said with an innocent voice. Constance felt like she had gone mad. Her baby… She was pregnant and her baby should be here somewhere! This lady knew were. She had been pregnant of Nick's baby, she knew for sure! Where was he? Seeing Constance her face, Broomhead her face got as cold as ice. "Out.", she said with such an icy face as her face. When they were out of the room, she continued speaking: "You don't deserve Nick, Nick doesn't deserve you, both of you don't deserve a baby and eventually ánd especially because the baby would grow up to be like you, the baby doesn't deserve both of you. None of you deserves to be loved."._

 _She crossed her arms._

 _She disappeared._

 _Not to be seen ever again._

 _So as the baby._

 _And so as Nick._


	4. Chapter 4

When Constance woke up next morning, she praise herself lucky that it was Saturday and that she didn't have to teach this day. She cried herself to sleep last night and because of that, it felt like her eyelids where glued together when she woke op. She sniffed and hid her face in her pillow for a few good minutes. She did this until she heard a long and loud 'meow', something which Morgana would usually do when she woke up and stretched herself. Morgana was always hungry when she woke up, so Constance decided to leave her bed and also start her day. Feeding Morgana was a good reason to do so.

Mildred was already in the library when Constance woke up. She had a bad feeling about the practice exam she had made yesterday, so she decided to study all weekend for the real test next week. However, she felt like she couldn't focus. Miss Hardbroom had been acting more grumpy than usual yesterday. Now, miss Harbroom being grumpy wasn't something new, especially for Mildred, but even calling Ethel Hallow a 'spoiled brat who never did anything to get good grades and even got away with it which made her even more of a spoiled brad', in front of the class, was something new for her. When miss Hardbroom decided that Ethel had to hand in an essay about planning how to make a proper living without her parents supporting her ánd 2500 lines of 'I have to stop being such a spoiled brat' that evening, the whole class was in shock. Last night Mildred remembered that miss Hardbroom had a period in which she was also like this around the same time last year. And the year before. She started wondering why. She decided to put it aside and to continue studying now. She'd talk to Maud about it this after dinner. Now, she had to continue study all these potions before she would mix up all these ingredients again.

Constance decided she didn't want to have breakfast. Just a cup of tea. A strong cup of tea. She decided she wouldn't be drinking it in the staffroom, but in the library. She had the practice exam of yesterday to mark and she remembered the behaviour of Davina yesterday. No way she would be able to focus in the staff room, neither Davina would ever set a foot in the library. A perfect spot for Constance to do her work. When she entered the library, she almost dropped her tea over the practice exams, which already fell down. Good thing Mildred didn't hear that. How was it even possible that girl was being so focussed on what she was doing? In her experience, Mildred couldn't even stay focussed on reading something for three seconds before dreaming away again. "Mildred Hubble!", Constance yelled at the girl. Mildred looked up quickly and shocked. "I'm sorry, miss Hardbroom, I didn't hear you enter." "So I noticed. Why on earth is it that you can't seem to focus in my class, but you are able of focussing in here?". Mildred looked at her feet. "I don't know, miss. Best reason I could think of is that there are barely any windows to look out in here.", she answered quietly. Constance overthought the answer and then started laughing. "That's not even a bad excuse. What are you doing, Mildred?", she asked the girl. Relieved, Mildred answered: "Trying to study for next week's test. I felt like I failed miserably yesterday and my average won't like me to fail again next week.". Constance felt relieved. Relieved that this girl gave her an opportunity to set her mind on to something else than her husband and daughter. "I'll help you.", she said. "While you study, I'll first check your practice exam and then we'll look at the things you did wrong." . Mildred smiled gratefully. "Thank you, miss."

Time flew by rather quickly that day. "Well done, Mildred. I think you'll pass this test, if you continue to work like this.", Constance said. "You think?", Mildred said nervously. Constance sighted. That girl is so unsecure, she thought. "Yes, unless you continue to be this insecure.". She smiled. "You'll be fine, really. Come on, dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes I think.". "How do you know? Felt like time barely passed, there isn't any clock in here, you don't wear a wa- is that a wedding ring?", Mildred asked, while wondering how her form-mistress would know the time and so watching her wrist. "I never knew you were married!". Constance quickly hid her hand, and blinked her tears away. "Y-yes, I'm married. There wasn't any reason to tell you, was there? And I just have a good feeling of time. Come on, let's go to find the rest for dinner.", she said quickly and more sharp than she meant. She didn't regret it though, it would prevent Mildred from asking more. "Yes, miss Hardbroom."

After dinner, Mildred and Maud gathered in Mildred her room. Mildred laying in her bed, Maud sitting on the desk chair. "Did you know miss Hardbroom is married, Maud?", Mildred asked Maud after a long period of silence. Maud looked up surprised. "Is she?", "Yes. I saw her wedding ring today while we were reviewing the material for next week's exam.". Mildred answered. "She didn't sound to happy when I asked her about it, though…". Maud raised an eyebrow. "I think that's a part of HB. She doesn't like personal questions." "Yes, I know. I still wonder if it had anything to do with how she acted yesterday. Ethel her lines!", Mildred said grinning, while Maud started laughing thinking about it again.

Constance was laying on her bed again. Meanwhile, she scratched Morgana behind her ears. She didn't show to anyone else, also not during dinner, but inside, she felt like she could through up any time. "She saw my wedding ring, Morgana. I know I shouldn't be wearing it since…". She felt silent. "But I just can't take it off! Anyway, it's no use taking it of now. Mildred probably won't tell anyone else, but you know Mildred: she can't just minding her own business, she just hás to know anything about anyone else too. I just hope she won't find too much information…". She whispered quietly. Suddenly, after a while, she felt relieved. "But why would she go and look for more information? It is not that strange to be married, right? Even for me! I think…"


	5. Chapter 5

_Constance cried. She cried a lot. The nurses at the hospital wouldn't talk to her, probably because they were afraid of Broomhead. She could understand. She wouldn't talk either. When she got home, she cried even more. Everything remembered her of Nick and her baby she just lost. She thought about possibilities to find them again, but none of them would work: everyone who would have any information or who was capable of finding information for her, such as the nurses or doctors, would have been corrupted by Broomhead. Just as she experienced herself, she could make everything people loved disappear in seconds. She could make people shut up being threatening to do the same to them._

 _She decided she didn't want to live in that house much longer. The house the both loved that much. She even decided she wanted to leave the city. The city they both loved that much. Constance just wanted to disappear, to a small village maybe. Where she could be alone. Where she would cry as long as she wanted to, because there wouldn't be anyone knocking on her door asking how she had been the last couple of days. Just because no one knows her._

 _Constance walked into her new house slowly. It was smaller than her previous one, but she didn't really mind. She didn't have anyone to share it with anyway. Her eyes filled up with tears again. 'Get yourself together, Constance.', she thought. 'You didn't tell anyone that you moved, so no one knows you're here. Plus: you have much more of a garden in here for the herbs and plants.'. She swallowed her tears and tried to smile. She failed miserably. 'Thank God I don't have that much stuff to unpack. If I start straight away, I can have some tea to calm myself again.', she continued thinking._

 _When Constance was done unpacking, it was 2,5 hours later. She made herself comfortable in the chair next to the window and put her teacup on the sill. She looked out of the window dreamy. It felt strange. If Broomhead hadn't decided to ruin her life, she would be having dinner with her daughter and Nick right now. Right now she wasn't feeling very hungry. 'I'm still sure it would've been a daughter, my love.', she whispered to the stars. She started crying softly. She just wanted to have a nice and peaceful life, couldn't that woman even allow her to have that? It wouldn't do Broomhead any harm if she was happy. What had she done to her daughter? "If you hurt her, you bitch, I'll make sure you will be killed in the most horrible way you can imagine.", she cried. She pushed a pillow against her, as if she was hugging it. "Please don't hurt her.", she said softly._

 _When she finally stopped crying, her tea was already cold. She drank it anyway. Crying makes you thirsty, she thought. Constance felt… relieved after having crying it all out. Not that it hurts any less, but it felt like she could think again. She made herself an extra cup of tea and decided to read something. To get it out of her mind. While making the tea in the kitchen, she noticed the newspaper on the kitchen table she brought in when she arrived. 'I can read that.', she thought, 'then I'm at least aware of what happens in here."._

 _While reading the newspaper, her eyes fell on a vacancy. 'We are looking for a new potions teacher. Experience not absolutely necessary. Call Amelia Cackle for more information.'. Constance raised an eyebrow. She had already noticed it wasn't an 'ordinairy' newspaper, with news 'normal' people want to know. But a magical job in a newspaper? She looked at the front page again: 'Hallows News'. Of course. She could've known. The Hallows family was a well-respected family, known for multiple things. One of the things was the newspaper. For Constance, this was the first time she read the newspaper. She leaned back in her chair. Her heart shrunk a bit. How did that newspaper get here? Couldn't be Broomhead. She defiantly didn't know she was here. Constance forced herself to calm down. Considering the Hallows, they would receive information from any estate manager about people who would live here (probably paying them a lot of money for that information) and would track down the names so that the newspapers would get into the right hands. 'I had to go to the main street tomorrow anyway. Let's see what on earth happened here. And maybe find some information about that vacancy. My grades for potions where always the highest anyway…'. Her heart started rushing again. 'But then I'll have to work with children. With. Children. What if I see her in every girl? Or even worse, what if I become just like Broomhead?'. She took a deep breath and drank a bit of her tea. 'Calm down.', she thought. 'You can look for something else tomorrow. And if you can't find anything better, you'll do this and I will make sure you won't become like Broomhead. Plus, keeping your distance from students isn't that hard, it won't hurt that much. And you'll get used to it.'. In her mind, Constance already knew she had made her conclusion. Her heart just wasn't sure yet._

 _When she woke up next morning, Constance felt more serene than she'd felt in weeks. 'It's because of the memories which aren't here. I left them behind.', she thought when she made herself a small breakfast. She decided to eat it in her kitchen. Morgana was there too, up until now, she wouldn't go anywhere else than her comfy chair in the kitchen, waiting for her mistress to feed her. When looking out the window, she noticed a hill with a castle on it. She wondered what it could be and she decided that she would take a look after going to the main street._

 _Constance walked up the hill after buying the stuff she needed and dropping the stuff at home. She noticed that there were quite some nice people in this city. There was mrs. Cosie, where she only wanted to buy a cup of tea, but who insisted that she would have an extra slice of cake with it for free, because Constance looked so pale, for example._  
 _When she came closer to the castle, she noticed that it was the school she read the vacancy from. There was an older lady in front of the castle. Constance decided to leave straight away, before the lady could see her. Her heart still wasn't completely sure if it was a good idea to work here. "Who are you?", said a nice, warm voice behind her. Too late. She turned around. "Constance… Constance Hardbroom.", she answered. "I'm new in this town, I just wanted to know what this place is. I'd better be going.", she continued. "Constance Hardbroom… That name sounds familiar.", the older lady answered. Constance her heart froze again and her mouth fell dry. No… Not Broomhead, again, right? "Ah, I remember. You graduated from Weirdsister two years ago, right? It was already known that my former potions teacher would retire any time soon and Professor Shakeshaft and Professor Thunderblast recommended to contact you when I actually needed a new teacher! Come in, come in, I really would like to talk about you about the vacancy!". Constance sighted from relief and was her former Professor ever grateful. "I haven't properly introduced myself yet, I think, though. My name is Amelia Cackle, pleased to meet you!". She opened the gate. "You dó want to work here, right?". Constance didn't have to think about this twice. If Professor Thunderblast and Shakeshaft gave her this opportunity… 'I'm sorry, heart.'. "Y-yes, of cours, Miss Cackle."_

 _A couple of days later she received a phone call from Miss Cackle. "I want you to know I would like to hire you. Are you still sure you want to work with us? When I spoke to you, you didn't seem quite sure about it.". Constance at first didn't really know what to say. She had been crying again just before miss Cackle called her, that made it even worse. She saw a picture of Nick laying on the table and she almost started crying again. If he was still with her, together with her daughter, she didn't have to make this decision. "Constance?". Suddenly, Constance knew what she had to do. She smiled. "Of course I still would love to work at Cackle's!". She answered. "Good! The Schoolyear starts in a month, but you can already live at the castle two weeks before. Then you can get used to the building and I'll tell you anything about teaching about Cackles."._

 ** _"When the baby arrives, Constance, I don't want you to sit home all day. I know you'll love her with your whole heart, but I don't think you'll like staying at home all day. I know you. You'll get bored. We both can work part-time after the first couple of weeks, and I'm sure my brother will help as well, but please don't stay home all day and get bored! Go and teach or so. You can teach potions, you always loved that. And then you're working with children!"_**


	6. Chapter 6

Constance still remembered the very first weeks she had taught at Cackles. She had been very nervous, but eventually she noticed her mind was right all the time. She hadn't told Amelia her story straight away, but eventually she did. In small pieces. Amelia didn't force her to tell anything, that had helped a lot. Also, working with the girls had worked in a calming way. She still cried a lot for her baby and husband. On the other hand, although she kept her distance so that she wouldn't get hurt too much again, she felt like the girls were also hers. Not as if they replaced her baby girl, but as an addition to her family. Sort of.

Constance smiled while thinking of this day. Today after today's classes she and Mildred reviewed the material for the test tomorrow for a final time. She giggled again when thinking of Mildred her surprised face this Sunday, because she had forbid her to study for the test, so that she could do something which she would enjoy.

Constance actually felt like Mildred would pass the test. She had made a lot of progress. 'It feels strange', she thought, 'Being so relieved knowing so sure one of the students would pass the test. I never felt relieved for a student this way. Not even for Ethel Hallow…'.

Mildred couldn't sleep. She was walking around in her room nervously. "How could I be póssible be able to sleep, Tabby?", she asked her cat. "Tomorrow is the test already –I know I've been studying the materials well, miss Hardbroom even helped me! But that's the problem I think, I'll get a nervous breakdown or so –". Mildred her voice stocked when her form-mistress materialized right in front of her. "No, you won't, Mildred, I know you won't.". Constance started laughing when she saw Mildred her face. "I'm sorry Mildred, you always look so shocked when I do that!" "Yes, probably because you usually materialize at the moments I least expect you to do so.", Mildred answered grinning. "Oh, nevermind, I had to get used to that when…". Constance her breath stocked for a few seconds. "Anyway, that's not what I'm here for. I just wanted to say you'll be fine tomorrow. And even when you won't be, there will be a resit possibility for this test, remember?". Mildred relaxed a bit. "Yes, that's true, I think…", she answered. "Well then. In that case, I suggest you'll get some sleep. I want you to be fully energized for your test tomorrow!". Constance said, after which she disappeared again.

Constance heard her heart beat in her ears. 'Calm down, Constance.', she told herself, 'She won't bother you anymore. She hadn't done so in the last 14 years.'. Someone knocked on her door. She didn't know who it was, but she still panicked. "Constance?". She sighted and felt relieved. "Come in!". How did that woman know? That woman álways knew when she needed a hug. Amelia entered her room. "How are you feeling, Constance?". Constance felt like she could cry anytime. "Panicked.", she answered honestly. "As if she could enter the building any time.". Amelia gave her a comforting smile and wrapped her arm around her. "There's only a small change she would do so, you know that. You've been worrying about this every year around your daughter's birthday and it never happened, did it?". Constance looked down at her feet. "I know. I can't help feeling this afraid. I always wanted to know what she did to Nick and my daughter, but on the other hand I can't face her, because she still scares me.", Constance whispered, while a tear dropped. Amelia whipped away the tear. "I know, sweetie. You remember what we've promised for when she does happen, don't you?". Constance nodded. "I'll come straight to you.", she whispered. Amelia smiled. "Good girl. Now go to sleep. The girls need you to be fully awake when they take your test tomorrow."

Mildred her mouth dropped when she read the first question of the test. How could this be so easy? This was exactly the stuff she and Miss Hardbroom had been practicing yesterday. When she looked up, she noticed that Miss Hardbroom tried hard not to laugh out loud.

Constance felt delighted seeing Mildred so relieved that she at least knew the first question. 'Now she at least won't panic that much', she thought, 'And she'll do a lot better than usual.'.

After one hour, everyone handed in their tests. "How did your test go, Mildred?", Constance asked. She couldn't help it, she was just very, very curious. Mildred started smiling. Constance started to feel warm to see that smile, she didn't see it that often. "I think it went well! Thanks for your help, miss.", Mildred answered. "You're welcome, dear.".

Mildred couldn't help but see a picture of a man in the map Miss Hardbroom put the tests in. "Who's that?", Mildred asked. "Is that your husband?".

Constance closed the map rather quickly. "Yes, he is. Was.". She looked confused. "Is.".

Constance materialised in her bedroom and started crying instantly. At the same moment, Mildred walked to her room rather surprised. "That woman always suprises me, Tabby.".

"That girl knows, Morgana, she knows!", Constance cried while cuddling with her cat. "What should I do now?" "Tell her, maybe.", the voice of Amelia said. "Headmistress… I didn't hear you enter.". Constance said. "Doesn't matter.", said Amelia while wrapping her arm around Constance. "Would it be that bad for Mildred to know? It's not likely she would tell anyone, is it? She's curious now, anyway.", she continued. "How do you know…" "I was just about to enter your classroom when I heard the conversation. Tell her, Constance. It wouldn't hurt you, nor her.". Constance looked down to her feet ashamed. "I can't. What would she think of me?". Amelia smiled. "Nothing horrible, I think."

"Are you sure that Broomhead would hide them on a place you wouldn't find?" Mildred asked, while she looked at the picture of Constance her husband. "Probably, why?". "Cause he seems so familiar.". Mildred answered. By the look on Mildred her face, Constance could see she was thinking really hard. "Probably, knowing Mistress Broo-" "I KNOW!", Mildred almost yelled when she sat up straight. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, miss, but this is a picture of a much younger bartender of a coffeeshop my parents always bring me to when I'm with them! They also used to bring me there every Saturday when I was younger. I always wondered why he looked so sad!"


	7. Chapter 7

Miss Cackle looked surprised, but shocked when Constance materialised in panic in her room. "My dear, did she show up?", Miss Cackle asked her. "No- No! I just talked to Mildred and she said she that there is a bartender in the coffeeshop in her hometown who looks exactly like Nick!". Miss Cackle looked relieved. "But that's a good thing, right? Did she mention the girl?". "No, that's what worries me a bit. He never had any child of his own around me, as far as Mildred could remember.", she answered. She felt her eyes fill with tears. Miss Cackle walked to her to give her a comforting hug. "It's okay, sweetie. How about giving that coffeeshop a visit? Then we'll see if Mildred was right.". "What if Mistress Broomhead finds out?". "Then we at least will be able to find out what motivated her, right? And maybe we even find out where your child is.". Constance got a smile on her face when she thought about her child. "I was thinking of finally being able to hug her lately. It feels like I'm closing than ever.". Amelia smiled. "Shall we ask Mildred to bring us there then?", she asked Constance. "What- right now?" "Yes, why not?". Constance thought about it for a few seconds. She nodded slowly. "Alright then. But what if it isn't him?" "Then we'll just act as if nothing happened. We'll drink a cup of coffee and we'll leave again.", she answered.

They had decided not to fly, but to materialise in Mildred her home. Flying would cause to much attention to them. Luckily, Mildred her parents where both in town, so they weren't having much problems leaving the house quickly. When they walked closer to the coffeeshop, Mildred said: "Looks like he asked his best friend to watch his shop. He usually does that on Saturdays –there's a market on Saturday, you see, he usually… Oh, too much information.", Mildred finished her sentence seeing the face miss Hardbroom made. "You just want to get in." "Do I?", Constance answered nervously. "Yes, you do.", Miss Cackle answered.

Constance had forgotten how much fun she could have with non-magical people. It's as if they care less, she always thought. Because of this, they have much more humour. The guy Mildred mentioned as 'the owner his best friend' right before they entered, was a good example of this. She hadn't laughed like this for ages. And she hadn't seen Mildred ever laugh like this before, either.

At some point, they decided to go and sit at the bar. Kevin was showing them some pictures of his trip to America, and was telling them hilarious stories about that. "I'm not even kidding, in a drunk mood, I kinda decided that it was a good idea to go to a casino in Las Vegas.", he said. "Sounds not to bad yet…", he wanted to continue, but Constance interrupted him laughin: "Being drunk and going to a casino not a bad idea?", she said. "No, not any worse than also bringing your debit ánd creditcard with you!", he said, causing all 4 of them bursting out in laughter.

All of a sudden, Constance felt two hands in her waist. "Connie?", a soft, familiar voice said. She knew that voice, she surely did. She turned around immediately. "Nick!", she said, almost crying of happiness, while she threw her arms around his neck and leaned on his shoulder with her head. "My Connie!", Nick answered happily, putting his arms around his waist. "I recognised that laughter straight away, I knew it was you!"

After Constance told her part of the story, basically all of them where crying. Even Kevin, who barely knew Constance. "What happened to you that day, Nick?", Constance asked him. "I- I don't know, actually. All I remember that I didn't woke up in our own bed. We went to bed together the night before, but I remember waking up somewhere totally else. Broomhead told me that I wouldn't be going back. If I would, she would do harm to you and the baby in a way I couldn't believe, she said. She said I wasn't worth you, I wasn't worth the baby and the baby wouldn't be worth us.", he answered. "Basically the same she had told you. I decided to come here, because it felt… it felt like the best place to be, actually.". They all fell silent for a few moments. This stopped after Kevin asked: "Are you going to find your baby again?". Constance and Nick looked at each other. "I would actually love to. Then we still can have our little family.", she answered with a shaking voice. Nick smiled, which caused Constance to blush. 'Gosh, I forgot how much I loved that smile', Constance thought. "Then we're going to find our baby.", he answered.

Mildred felt happy when she was at Cackle's again. She and Maud were at her room together. Nick had decided that he would live in the house Constance still owned in the town close to Cackles. "They're really happy to be together again, Maud. They looked like a teenage couple who are just together…", she said. She wanted to continue talking, but then Miss Hardbroom materialised in her bedroom, together with Nick. "I hope that's a compliment, Mildred Hubble.", she said with her icy voice. "Yes, Miss Hardbroom.", she answered. Both Nick and Constance started giggling. "I sáíd she would answer that!", she said to Nick. "Oh, come on, that's not fair!", Nick answered laughing. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Mildred. I just wanted to say thank you.". She smiled. After this afternoon, Mildred still felt relieved when Miss Hardbroom would turn on her nice mood. "You're welcome, miss." She answered. "Do you already know where to start to find your child?", Maud asked curious. "Not yet, but Miss Cackle already sent out some telegrams to close contacts of her who probably know more about Broomhead her actions. We're hoping on having some answers tomorrow, so that we have something to start with right away.". Mildred looked hopeful. "Can we help?", she asked. "Do you have any tests coming up next week, Mildred?". Constance asked doubtful. "Yes, miss Bat has set up a test for us. You know her, we probably already pass the test by just showing up! Please!". Constance thought for a moment. "Then I don't know why not, I think.", Nick already answered for her. Constance laughed. "Alright then, you can help! But only the both of you!"


	8. Chapter 8

When Constance woke up, she felt like she had dreamed it al. This was until she felt that she was laying in someone's arms. She looked up and saw two beautiful blue eyes. "Morning.", Nick said. "I forgot how cute you are when you sleep. And that cat! You didn't have her yet when we lived together, but she really seems fund of you.". Constance blushed. "I got Morgana when I started to work here. Miss Cackle felt sorry for me when I told her I never had a cat.", she answered. Nick smiled at her and kissed her on her forehead, which caused Constance to blush again. "Let's make some breakfast together. Afterwards we should change and go to Cackle's again to see if Amelia has any information for us.", Nick said.

"It was really kind of those girls to offer us their help.", Nick said, while he and Constance walked to Cackle's. "They're always like this. Always willing to help, in their way. I think it is because of their curiosity. Better than Ethel Hallow, she just wants to look good…", Constance answered. She was surprised she actually said that. Mildred must think I always favour Ethel', Constance thought. 'But it's actually the other way around: I want Mildred to succeed more than anyone else.'. In all of a sudden, they heard a strange way of singing. Almost as… a human trying to sing like a bird. "Oh. My God.", Constance sighted while rolling her eyes. "What's that?", Nick asked. "Davina Bat, I fear. Still trying to come closer to nature…". Nick started to laugh. "That's not even funny! Last week I entered the staffroom and her hair was even messier than usually, looking like a birdsnest, completely with yoghurt which supposed to look like birdspoop! If she decided what we had for breakfast, we would be eating seeds, and not even from proper plates!", she raged. While looking at Nick again, she noticed her speech didn't work as she planned. Nick only laughed harder. "She sounds like a fun person!", he said. Constance couldn't help but giggling. "That's what I thought in my first week. Then I got to know her better…", she answered. "Come on, let's continue heading to Cackle's. I want to know what happened to our little baby girl.", Nick said, putting his arm around Constance her waist.

When they arrived in the library, Miss Cackle and the girls where already there. "Ah, you are finally there! You are late!". Nick and Constance looked at each other surprised. "My cousin wrote me back this night already. She was in the Witches Guild before Broomhead left. Surprisingly enough, she heard Broomhead have a conversation on the phone and she almost sounded afraid. She was talking about 'getting to Paris as soon as the family was torn apart, and yes ma'am, she would defiantly make sure they would me torn apart, but would it be really necessary?'", Miss Cackle said. Constance her mouth fell open. "It wasn't completely her idea to steal Nick and the baby from me? But whose was it then?". "We're trying to figure that out now. Don't worry, we'll find out.". Constance felt tears coming up. "Who else would want to hurt me l-" Constance felt quiet. Her first tear felt. She looked at her feet. "My grandmother from my father's side. She lives in Paris. She basically never met me but she hated my mother for marrying her only son. My mother always said my grandmother hated her, because she thought her son could get someone better. She probably hated me as well, because I'm still family of my mum.". Miss Cackle came and sit next to her. "I'm so sorry to hear that, dear. Does your mother know more of her activities in Paris?", she asked Constance. "I have no idea. I never had the intentions of knowing what someone who hates me does, so I never asked her.". Amelia smiled at her with her friendliest smile. "I'll give her a call then.", she answered.

Mildred started feeling sorry for Miss Hardbroom more and more. "I'm glad she has Nick again", she said to Maud while eating lunch. "Indeed, she'll need him. And he'll need her, I think. It's quite a lot to process for them, I think.". Mildred nodded. "I really hope they'll find their child. They deserve it.", she mumbled.

Things like this made Mildred always miss her parents even more. She was actually quite close to them. She was the only child, that might have worked well for her too: her parents had always enough time for her. When she for example came home from school when she was younger, her mother made sure tea was ready with some biscuits, and her dad would read her a bedtime story just before sleeping. And they always had breakfast together, which Mildred was always happy about: even on elementary school she already was nervous for the tests coming up and it was relaxing to hear her parents say she would pass the test anyway.

She was woken up of her daydream by Miss Hardbroom. She had a sort of a grin on her face. Well, after this morning, you couldn't really call it a grin, but she was obviously trying. "What are you dreaming of now again, Mildred?" "My parents, Miss, I miss them.", she said blushing. "Can you tell them about them, please?", Miss Hardbroom asked her, while sitting right in front of her. Mildred looked up surprised. "Yeah, think I can do that.", she answered .

Miss Cackle was looking really thoughtful when they Miss Hardbroom, Maud and Mildred entered the library again. "Amelia? What is it?". "Ah, Constance!", she said, as if she was doubting whether to say something or not. "Constance, this might sound a bit strange. I called your parents, and your grandmother had also disappeared 14 years ago, together with Broomhead. They weren't ever found again. As far as your parents know, and have been told by some French witches, They were a victim of a anger-outburst of a very angry baby. As if the baby didn't want to be with them. Right after this, the baby had been brought back to the UK and was adopted here.". Constance gasped. "W-Why didn't they tell me?", she asked. "First of all, because they knew you hated both your grandmother and Broomhead. Secondly, because you never told them about the baby. Why didn't you tell them about the baby?". Both Nick and Constance looked down to the floor. "They were traveling around the world when got pregnant. They would return 3 days after I was calculated. We thought the baby would be a nice surprise for when they returned. When I lost her, it felt quite… useless to tell them.", Constance answered softly. "Do they know where my baby is now?" "Not yet, they would call me back when they know. Probably tomorrow. Untill then, I suggest we all take some rest."

Mildred and Miss Hardbroom where outside. It was the beginning of March, but the weather was quite nice already. "Do you have any pictures of your parents, Mildred?", Constance asked. "Yes, in my room. Hold on!". When she returned, she gave the pictures to Constance. Constance her mouth fell open. "But they are both blónde!" "Yes, I know they are.", Mildred answered slowly. "I'm adopted. Didn't you know? It has to be in my schoolreports somewhere, since we had to fill that in on the entry form."


	9. Chapter 9

Amelia and Constance had send Maud and Mildred to bed straight after dinner. It had been a long day for the girls and especially Constance wanted to get them both to have enough sleep for tomorrow's classes. Later that night, Amelia, Constance and Nick were sitting in Amelia her office. "Mildred just told me she was adopted. Never noticed in her schoolreports…", Constance said softly while leaning against Nick on the couch. "She barely speaks about it either", Amelia answered, "she doesn't know any better and her parents always were like her own because of this.". "Luckily they were. I hope our daughter has the same luck.", Nick answered her. The phone rang. "Ah, that is probably my cousin!", Amelia said. She answered her phone and had a conversation with her. "It's Mildred? Are you sure?", she said after some time. "Mildred Hubble?". Nick and Constance sat up straight with surprised and hopeful faces. "Really?", she said, while having twinkling eyes and having a smile on her face. "Well, thank you very much! I'll tell them!".

"Mildred is my daughter? That girl who must have hated my multiple times and must have thought I hated her quite a lot?", Constance said, with a slightly afraid face. "Yes, she is.", Amelia answered. "But you don't really think she really hated you, or thought you hated her, do you?". "I doubt it.", she said with a worried face. "Her adoptive parents! Do they already know?" "Yes, my cousin already called them before she called me.". Amelia barely finished her sentence and Enid and Maud came in the room running with scared faces. "Maud! Didn't we send you to bed earlier this evening?", Amelia asked them. "Yes.. Yes, you did! But we heard Mildred scream in her room and when we came to her room to see what happened, she wasn't there! Tabby was acting really troubled and there was this letter on her bed.", Maud answered. She handed the letter to Miss Cackle.

"Constance! My dearest Nick.

You weren't supposed to look for each other, and you especially weren't supposed to look for your daughter, didn't you know yet? I didn't tear your family apart without any reason.

Don.'t. Look. For. Her. Again.".

When Amelia let Constance read the letter, she recognized the handwriting immediately. Constance started crying. "Not again. Not this woman again. She hadn't shown up for years and when we finally happy again, she ruins everything again…", she cries in Nick his shoulder. Amelia still looked shocked, but she started to think straight away. For her, it was not only Constance her daughter who was kidnapped, but also a student. She always felt that all of her students should feel save in her school. "Bring every student and employee to the hall. I want to know of every single person in this building whether they've seen or heard something.", she said with an icy face and voice which even scared Constance for a moment. She hadn't seen her this angry before. Her face got more gentle when looking at Constance and Nick. You can stay here, if you like. Calm down a bit. I'll see what I can figure out.". She said.

After an hour, she returned with a worried face. Constance was still crying. She kneeled in front of her. "Constance? It's going to be difficult, but I think we'll manage to find her. Fenella Feverview woke up from a loud bang, and heard some soft voices about going back to Paris 'with that girl'. She at first wasn't sure if she even heard it at all, you know, because she literally was awake for only 2 seconds, but considering tonight's events, it actually makes sense. And on my way back here, I decided to have a closer look at Mildred her room, and I found a little note with an address on it. I suggest we take a look there first, before we go all the way to France and find out there's nothing there. I'll at least call everyone I know of the Witches Guild to keep an eye on anything unusual.", She said. "No worries, we'll find her.", she continued when she saw Constance her worried face. It was something new to see: Constance worrying like a real mother.

Right before they left, Maud, Enid, Jadu, Ruby, Fenella, Grisselda and even Drusilla ran out of the building. "Wait, wait for us! We want to come with you too! We also want to find her!", Enid yelled. Amelia doubted a bit, but Constance turned around to face her immediately. Amelia noticed she still had red eyes from crying. "Please, Amelia, can they? They might spot something we would miss!", she begged her. Amelia sighted. "You girls, have classes tomorrow.". The girls let their shoulders hang. "But I believe this is slightly more important. Come on."

Mildred woke up in a dark room. When her eyes were used to the dark, she saw an older lady with light brown hair, which she wore up, and grey eyes. "Who are you?', Mildred asked softly. She felt weak by something she didn't know what caused it. "Finally awake, you girl?", aksed the woman sharply. "It's about time! I don't like to kept waiting.". "Where am I?". Mildred started to panic. The only thing she remembered was that she was exhausted and she was happy Miss Hardbroom and Miss Cackle had send her and Maud to bed. There was a vague memory of someone grabbing her and holding a tissue in front of her mouth and nose, but that was it. "Oh, your save. For now. Don't know what to do with you yet, though. You, Constance and Nick were always a thorn in the eyes of my… 'client', if you want to call her that. Everyone has been told she's dead, so was I. But I don't believe she's dead. That's why you're here." "What?". The woman sighted. "You're only here so that I can kill that insane woman before she gets you, or your parents.", she said. "It was better for you and your parents to think I was behind it all, because if that woman would notice that they knew it was her, she would kill you all anyway and my efforts would be for nothing." "You're Heckety Broomhead!", Mildred shouted. "Ugh, dear God, she finally got it.", Broomhead sighted while rolling her eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to find that woman before she does something insane.". "W-wait, what do you mean with 'me and my parents'?", Mildred asked. Broomhead sighted again. "You are adopted, and Constance and Nick are looking for their daughter. Think about that.", she said with an icy voice before she walked away. Mildred heard her whisper something while she walked away. Something with 'just as slow as her mother'.


	10. Chapter 10

Well, two chapters in one day. Basically because I was in a writing mood today. Hope you'll enjoy :D  
PS: I know Broomhead is starting to get a bit OOC, but I actually kinda like to make her look a bit furnable. Since I've been thinking there has to be a reason she was the way she was portraid, I felt like exploring that a bit while writing. So that's why :)  
_

Mildred could feel her heart beat in her ears. Miss Hardbroom is her mother and Nick her father? Miss Hardbroom must feel shocked when she heard she was her daughter. 'She once called me the worst witch of the entire school, she's going to hate it when she hears I'm hear daughter', she thought. 'How am I going to get out of here? Am I going to get out of here? That lady –Broomhead- , although she scared me to death, she sounded protective in her way, but miss Hardbroom said it was all her fault. On the other hand, there was miss Hardbroom her grandmother. What if she really had to do with it? I really have to find some answers here.'. She stood up, with her legs still shaking. She looked around in the room and found a light switch. It turned on a huge lamp on the ceiling. The room was actually quite big, with a desk in the corner next to the door. Mildred decided to look over the huge amount of paperwork which was on the desk. She wanted to know what happened and she hoped to get more information from the paperwork.

After 45 minutes, she had read through all the paperwork and her eyes had filled with tears. These were mostly letters which Broomhead had received from probably Miss Hardbroom her grandmother. She obviously didn't have the letters which Broomhead had send, but she still could make something out of it from the letters received. Broomhead at first didn't even want to separate the family, she felt as if it wasn't necessary to do so. Penelope, on the other hand, was just out on revenge: she couldn't tear Constance and her parents apart anymore, but she could tear Constance her family apart. Something she felt like Constance her mother had done to her. 'This isn't even fair. Why me and my mommy and daddy?', she thought.

Mistress Broomhead closed and locked all the doors and windows of the house. She hoped the girl would be clever and stay inside. 'Constance is never going to believe me', she thought, 'but what she doesn't know is that we all would be dead by know if I hadn't done this.'. She walked through the gate and headed for the library. She didn't expect to find anything new about Penelope, but she just wanted to check, just to be sure. Plus, if she remembered correctly, Frank would be working today, and he seemed to know the ins and outs of every single person who ever lived in this town. Even if they're dead or if they only lived here for a month in a hotel before heading to another city. Heckety never paid much attention to it, but for today, she felt like it could be useful.  
In all of a sudden, she heard a whole bunch of voices, of which she recognized two of them. She turned pale white. Nick and Constance. She tried turning around quickly, but she was too late. "Broomhead!", a loud voice full of hatred, but also pain yelled at her. She never realised Constance could yell so loudly and could sound so scary. Constance materialised right in front of her. "What. Have. You. Done. To. My. Daughter?", Constance almost yelled.

Constance felt as if she could burst from anger any moment. She had expected to be afraid when she saw Broomhead again, and that she would flee. But now she saw her, she had trouble controlling her anger. "S-save for now.", Broomhead answered. "Save? With you? Could you believe it! Where is she? I want to go to my daughter!", she yelled at her. "You can't!", Broomhead answered desperately. "Everyone said your grandmother is dead, but I don't believe anything from it! Last time I saw her she was more than alive.", she continued. "And what on earth has that to do with tearing my family apart? You couldn't even allow me to have a family!", Constance answered, while she was crying now. Nick walked towards Constance and pushed Constance close to her. "And what on earth have _I_ done to you to deserve this? We both didn't do anything to you to deserve this.", he said. "You don't understand, do you? You really don't! She threatened to kill us all, one by one, if the three of you would be together." "And you decided to help her instead of helping us?". Broomhead sighted. Tears filled up her eyes. Constance and Nick were shocked to see this happen. "I tried, but then she killed one of my neighbours. It was a warning, she said. If I would refuse again, her husband would get killed. And then us. Those two where basically the people who replaced my own parents…".

Amelia looked thoughtful out of her eyes. "Up until now, it matches with what we heard from your parents and the Witches Guild.", she said to Constance. She stepped forward and looked to Broomhead over her glasses. "Where were you heading to?", she asked her with an icy voice. "Library.", she answered softly. "The librarian knows lots of ins and outs of people who have ever been here. Even the dead." "Then we'll come with you.", Amelia answered. "Let's make sure she remains dead forever, so to speak. At least on the paper and in the way she acts. We're not actually going to go down to her level.".

Right before entering the library, Broomhead kept Constance outside for a moment. "I know you must have thought I hated you at Weirdsister, and that it got even worse after…" "You _do_ hate me.", Constance with an icy voice. "I never hated you, and defiantly not this much. I just tried not to get us killed." "Yes, of course you did.", Constance said, with just an icy voice as just before. She turned around and followed Amelia into the library.


	11. Chapter 11

Mildred had decided not to find a way out. After all the paperwork she had found on the desk, she had a lot of reasons to believe she had been saver in this house than in this village she didn't know anything about. Instead, she decided to wander around more in the house. In a bedroom, she found a diary.

 _Dear diary,_

 _A new schoolyear has started. Most students seem rubbish, like most of the students, but this year I noticed a student with long, dark hair and even so dark eyes. Constance, her name is, I believe. She seems quite quiet and lonely, but that doesn't matter. That's even good and probably also the reason she's that good. She even got passed the all seeing eye without any efforts._

 _Dear diary,_

 _Constance is truly a good witch, she really has it in her blood. Her only struggle is that she wanders of so much. In a way, you can see that she tries, and I appreciate that. Maybe I've been too hard on her today, pointing out every single mistake she had made in her essay in front of her class whole class. She must have felt a horrible witch, while her essay was the best of her class. I only wanted to daydream less, diary. When I walked pass her room, I heard her cry. I should deliver a chocolate box to make her feel better, I think. Anonymously._

 _Dear diary,_

 _I don't know what's wrong with that girl. Her daydreaming got less, but it also meant her way of showing her emotions dropped. She already shown so few emotions. Shakeshaft tried to convince me it was my fault, but it's not. I mean, I already said I could be a bit harsh on her, but she knows I do so with the best intensions, right, diary? She knows I only want to know the best for her. Right?_

Mildred felt tears coming up in her eyes. Broomhead might seem cruel and mean at first sight, but eventually, she cared for her mother. 'She really just wanted to protect us.', Mildred thought. She confidently whipped away her tears. 'I'm going to find any information in this house about this Penelope. And then I'm going to make sure this woman won't ever be a problem again for us. Let's make mommy proud.', Mildred thought. Short after that, she let her shoulders hang. 'I just don't know how.'.

While Amelia and Nick were talking to the librarian, Constance were looking through some books. Not that they expected to find anything, it was more a sort of curiosity. 'These girls actually áre curious', Constance thought, 'Just in a way I didn't expect them to be.'. She started to feel more and more pride for the girls. In a way, it calmed her down. It meant Mildred probably would be like this as well, going to the library and trying out new things. Just out of curiosity. "Constance?", Broomhead her voice said from behind her, almost sounding scared. "Mildred is safe, she really is. I locked all the doors and closed all the windows. I even put a spell on my house so that your grandmother would just walk pass my house as if she thought it wouldn't be my house. She's not going to in.", she said, trying to calm her a bit. "Yes, of course.", Constance answered with an icy voice. "You only forgot she might be able to materialise into the house." "She can't. As far as I know, she doesn't know it exist, and we are the only two witches who know how to control it.", Broomhead said, looking down at her feet. "That might be true indeed", Amelia said. "I once read an article written by the Witches Guild about it. You were the one who discovered this part of magic, right, weren't you?", she said, looking at Broomhead. Broomhead nodded. "I only thought you to do it, because I thought you were the only one capable of doing it. Unless you taught others how to do it, we're the only ones capable of doing it.", she said. "I might have given you the impression that I thought you were horrible and you couldn't ever make it, but I never actually thought that way. I also might have given you the idea I hated you, but I don't hate you as well. It was kinda my wrong way of showing you I cared.". "Yes, of course you did.", Constance answered with just an icy voice as before. "What did the librarian say?" "He heard rumours Penelope is back. People have seen a lady completely in dark purple clothing, even covering her face. Since Penelope used to wear a lot of dark purple clothing, they all assume it's her.", Amelia answered. Drusilla jumped up. "I saw someone like that! I just came back from the toilet and I looked out the window for a moment and I saw her walk in the direction you came from!", she said, looking at Broomhead.

They all started rushing to Broomhead her house. "I know you were in it, I know you planned on killing her so that you would take her away from me!", Constance cried. "No! No, Constance, please, believe me, it wasn't me! Else I wouldn't have taken the efforts to find that woman, would I?", Broomhead answered desperately. "Pleas, believe me!". "No!".

"You better do.", another icy voice from behind said. When everyone turned around, they saw a lady with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes in a dark purple dress with a dark purple hat. "Nick…", Constance said while desperately looking around the street. "Where's Nick?" "Up there.", the woman said without any emotions. Nick was there, in the air, paralysed. "Penelope…", Broomhead said, breathless. "You don't mind me having cast a spell on this wonderful man, now, do you, Constance? You all will do exactly as I say, or I kill him. Just as simple as casting a spell on him without anyone noticing. Everyone was too busy with yóú're fight…"

Mildred still didn't have a plan. She was walking rounds in the room, almost panicking, because she had to find something, but she couldn't. 'I can't do this. I can't find an so...' "DADDY!", she yelled out when she looked out the window while walking the rounds in the room. Seeing her father in the air paralysed, made her panic even more. "They have mommy, if mommy let this happen, how can I be able of fighting Penelope!", she almost cried. "Think Mildred, think!". Thinking about it made her panic even more. "I can't do this!", she cried to herself while she sat down on a couch with her face in her hands. Then she remembered her conversation with her mother, while reviewing the materials for her potions exam.

 _"Well done, Mildred. I think you'll pass this test, if you continue to work like this.", mommy said. "You think?", Mildred said nervously. Mommy sighted. That girl is so unsecure, she thought. "Yes, unless you continue to be this insecure."._

Mildred sat up straight again. Her eyes started to shine again and she started to smile again. "Of course I can! I just have to be less insecure! We were reviewing a potions test back then – there must be a cauldron in here!", she said.


	12. Chapter 12

'What did I do wrong again,' Mildred thought. 'It's two years ago already since I made an invisibility potion instead of a laughter potion… What was it again?'. She searched through the ingredients Mistress Broomhead had, hoping to get an idea of what it was again. "Pondweed-gathered-at-midnight, of course!", Mildred almost shouted when she found it.

"Aww, are we going to panic?", Penelope said with a fake compassionate voice. Indeed, everyone started to panic, especially Constance. "What do you want?", she asked, crying. "Please, don't kill him!" "And what if that's what I want to do?", Penelope asked, while raising an eyebrow. "You're not actually going to kill him, are you?", Miss Cackle asked her breathless. "Won't I? I think I will. And maybe that little daughter of you as well. Where is she?" "I- I don't know.", Constance answered truthfully. She didn't know where Broomhead lived, so she couldn't possibly tell her. "Why would you even want to do all this? What has Constance ever done wrong to you?", Amelia asked her. "Being a child of my son. Well, wouldn't even be that bad if her mother wasn't such a bitch. Who are you, anyway?" "Then again, why is that Constance, Nick and Mildred their fault?" "It's not really their fault, I just don't want them to exist. They aren't supposed to exist, that's why. My family has to be… Better than this. Now, who are you again?" "DON'T. Tell me my family isn't a good family!", Constance yelled at Penelope, crying. "Shush! I didn't ask you anything!", Penelope yelled, while blowing her away with a spell. "Now your name ag-HMPF!". "You really made a mistake doing that.", a voice from behind Penelope said. The only thing everyone saw, was a tissue which was held in front of Penelope her mouth and nose, which caused her difficulties to breath. Nick also fell down and woke up, since Penelope lost her concentration. "She really wasn't supposed to do… what?", Maud asked with a careful voice. She knew she had recognized the voice from something… "Hurting my mommy like that!", the voice said again, while Penelope fainted. "Mildred!", Constance said, now crying of happiness. "Yup!", Mildred said, while her head started to appear again. She was looking down at her feet. She looked up at her mommy. "When will my feet start to appear again? I forgot that from last time I made this potion.", she asked. Constance ran to her, hugged her with tears in her eyes, and answered: "I don't know, depends on how strong you made the potion. Why?" "Because I tripped over one of my shoe lashes three times on my way here, but I can't see which ones…", she answered.

After they stopped laughing and Mildred her whole body had appeared again, they all decided to bring Penelope back to Cackles, where they let her admit defeat, considering the Witches Code. Else Mildred would change her in a dwarf – she also still remembered the spell she used for that in her first year. Eventually, she admitted defeat. She promised to go to Paris and also agreed on the Witches Guild to have an eye on her.

Nick, Constance and Mildred where enjoying their first cup of tea together as a family. Amelia had decided to make the rest of the week a holiday, so they were at their home. Morgana and Tabby were playing happily together in the garden. "They seem to get along very well together.", Nick said, surprised. "Of course they can! What else did you expect?", Constance answered. "Well, I don't-" "Mildred?", an icy voice said, interrupting Nick. Broomhead started to materialise in front of all of them. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside the house?", she asked. "Yes, but…" "Does she do that very often? Breaking the rules?" , she asked Constance. "Yes, but…" "Well then, I think you can do that more often. You appear to have some great ideas when stressed.", she said to Mildred, giving her a smile. Constance looked surprised. She had never seen her smile. "Thank you, Mistress Broomhead.", she said to her. "For what?" "For protecting my daughter.".

Constance and Nick brought Mildred to bed together. "Mommy!", Mildred said when she was finally laying under her blankets. She raised her arms. "Hug!". Constance smiled and hugged her daughter. She never felt so happy. Mildred called her mommy. And Mildred wanted to have a hug from her. When they were done hugging, Mildred said: "Daddy!" "Hug?" "Hug!".

"You looked really happy when she wanted to hug.", Nick said when Constance was laying in her arms. "Of course I was. For the first time in my life I felt complete. I finally found my long lost family again. I didn't feel lost anymore. I felt complete and that's the best feeling I have ever had.", she answered softly and sleepy. "And now you just sound tired.". Constance laughed at him, answering: "Did you expect anything else after today?", she answered. "No.", he said, rolling over, which caused him to lay on top of Constance and looking her straight in her eyes. "But I don't feel like sleeping yet.", he said, after which he kissed her intensely…


	13. Chapter 13

So, this is going to be the last chapter of Lost. I hope you enjoyed this story, and I'm still very looking forward to read your reviews, so that I can improve things in my writing!  
I'm not sure though, but I think I'll write a sequel about this story. Not sure about it yet, and also still not really sure whether I'll do it or not. Depends on if I have inspiration and if you liked this story enough :D  
_

Mildred woke up by someone whipping her hair out of her face. "Mildred, wake up, sweetie.", her mother said softly. She blinked once, to make sure everything wasn't a dream. When she realised it wasn't, she sat up straight at once and hugged her mother: "Mommy!", she almost yelled. Constance started laughing while putting her arms around her daughter. "Good morning, sweetie.". Constance her heart warmed by the idea it was really her daughter she was holding in her arms. She was finally able of having a family with Mildred and Nick. "Come on, let's go downstairs. Your father is making breakfast.".

When they came downstairs, Mildred her eyes filled with tears. There was a banner with 'happy birthday' on it, and cake and presents, and all of her friends were there. Miss Cackle, Miss Drill, Miss Bat, Mistress Broomhead and her adoptive parents were there too. "Happy birthday!", everyone shouted at the same time. You couldn't say mistress Broomhead was shouting, though, she made it sound more like some whispers, but Mildred appreciated the try. "Although your actual birthday was already over a week ago, we still wanted to celebrate it.", Nick said. Constance nodded with eyes filled with joy: "I always wanted to celebrate your birthday once, and now I finally got the chance to do so!", she said. "Come on, let's eat all together, and then open your presents. I'm hungry!", Nick said. Constance wrapped her arms around his neck, and said: "You're always hungry!", she said, just before giving him a small kiss. "D'aww!", Miss Drill and Miss Batt together. "Oh, shush! As if you never thought I was able to love someone!", Constance answered. "Well, you can't blame us, since we only knew since yesterday!", Miss Drill answered. "Yes, that's true, though!", Amelia said. "You never told them about it." "I never felt the urge to do so. It would hurt too much.", Constance answered, while looking at her feet. "But now it doesn't hurt anymore, right?", Mildred said, while giving her mother a hug. "No, not anymore.", Constance answered, with a smile on her face. "You have to forgive us though –we couldn't raise you for the first couple of years, so we kind of asked your friends for help…". She continued. "That's okay", Mildred answered. "It's about the idea.".

After breakfast and unpacking the presents, Mildred, Maud and Enid were sitting in Mildred her room. "This must feel weird, Milly, HB being your mom!", Enid said. "Well, I have the feeling I might get used to it sooner than we all expect.", Mildred said. "She always might have seem mean, but I always felt like she did so because she cared. The Saturday after the practice test, she even helped me reviewing the materials for the real test!" "I think it's true though. I also think she wouldn't put in as much time in the classes as she is actually doing when she wouldn't care: If she really didn't care, she would put in as less efforts in the classes as she could. But she doesn't.", Maud answered.

"Constance?", Broomhead her voice said from behind. Constance turned around and looked down on Broomhead. "Can we have a word? Outside or so?".

"Constance, I never wanted to hurt you in any way-" "Then why did you?", Constance asked her with tears in her eyes. "I at least wanted to know where my family was and why you stole them from me!" "I don't know. I think it was because I didn't know how to act in another way. When you were at witch training, but also when I had to… rip your family apart. I never knew how to act normal.", Heckety answered. Constance was surprised by how much sorrow there was in her voice. "I never wanted you to think I hated you, Constance. I never wanted to you think I believed you were worthless. Because you're not. You're basically the best student I have ever had.", Broomhead continued. "I just wanted to protect you and your family." A tear rolled over Constance her face. She looked down to hear feet. "You really don't think I'm worthless?", Constance asked. Heckety carefully stepped closer to Constance and hugged her. "I really don't think you're worthless. Now, turn around, go to your daughter and be a great mommy. I think she's looking for you.". Constance turned around a saw Mildred look around in the living room. She smiled at Heckety. Before going to her daughter, Constance said: "Thank you for keeping Nick and Mildred safe." "You're very welcome, my dear. Anytime."


End file.
